Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard (Photo: Qld Health)

January 8, 2022

The death toll from COVID-19 in Queensland has risen to 10 with confirmation on Saturday that two recent sudden deaths were COVID-related.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard confirmed that two men in their 30s – one vaccinated and one unvaccinated – had died unexpectedly at their homes from “rare complications”.

Dr Gerrard emphasised that sudden deaths from COVID in young people were rare but they were being reported in other States and overseas.

He said the most common cause was a viral infection of the heart, and he urged people with significant chest pain or breathlessness to seek medical advice.

A total of 11,174 new cases were added to the Queensland COVID statistics tally for the latest reporting period, with this number expected to rise sharply when people start reporting their positive rapid antigen tests.

From midday on Saturday, this can now be done online

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath urged anyone who has recorded a positive RAT test over the past 14 days to add their details to improve Queensland Health’s modelling as well as ensure they received the correct medical support at home.

Dr Gerrard said there were 349 people receiving treatment for COVID-19 in Queensland hospitals; 17 people were in intensive care including three patients on life support.

He said these numbers were “manageable” but the biggest issue for Queensland Health at the moment was the number of health workers who had either tested positive to the virus themselves or who were in isolation as close contacts.

There are now 62,920 active COVID cases in Queensland with 24,508 people being cared for at home.

Up until 7:00pm on Friday, 210 cases have been recorded in the South Burnett Regional Council area; and 96 in Cherbourg since December 29.

Health officials are urging residents who have tested COVID positive to obey health directions and stay at home.

Police are conducting compliance checks throughout the region.

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southburnett.com.au has been keeping track of some basic statistics for local Council areas since the re-opening of the State border on December 13.

These statistics, from Queensland Health, show the total number of confirmed positive cases per Local Government Area since the pandemic began in January 2020.

They are NOT the total of current ACTIVE cases but demonstrate how the virus has spread quickly throughout the local community.

We took snapshots on Dec 13, Dec 21 and daily since December 29.

The latest figures are current to 7:00pm on Friday (Jan 7):

  • South Burnett: 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 18 / 21 / 25 / 39 / 52 / 83 / 135 / 188 / 213
  • Cherbourg:  – / – / – / 3 / 12 / 21 / 30 / 51 / 61 / 71 / 74 / 89 / 96
  • Toowoomba: 52 / 56 / 233 / 312 / 368 / 396 / 463 / 579 / 665 / 751 / 841 / 940 / 1141
  • Gympie: 7 / 6 / 23 / 26 / 38 / 43 / 48 / 68 / 82 / 104 / 144 / 169 / 222
  • North Burnett: 3 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 8 / 9 / 13 / 13 / 14 / 14 / 17 / 21 / 23
  • Somerset: 6 / 6 / 14 / 15 / 15 / 20 / 28 / 34 / 38 / 48 / 64 / 104 / 127
  • Western Downs: 3 / 3 / 16 / 18 / 23 / 30 / 36 / 48 / 52 / 60 / 89 / 114 / 140

NB. Data is reported by Queensland Health daily but can vary over time due to case reviews. When we took the first snapshots, Cherbourg LGA had not been added to the list by Qld Health as no cases had been recorded there. From December 31, data is current to 7:00pm the previous day.

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